82 lines
4.4 KiB
Plaintext
82 lines
4.4 KiB
Plaintext
GREY INITIATION
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There are only two ceremonies associated with becoming a member of the
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Order. One is the 'answer three questions' ritual. The questions can
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take many forms, but usually it involves something silly, and yet
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thought provoking. The other ceremony involves an interesting phenomenon
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sometimes known as "the infilling of the Force," and anciently known as
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the Lumen Naturae.
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The initiation ritual takes exactly 24 hours from beginning to end. The
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inductee is given an herbal mix reputed to cause a loosening of the
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barriers in the mind which normally are used to repress the Dark side.
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This includes inhibitions (both instinctive and learned), psychic
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'engrams' (often placed in the mind while the Jedi was still in the
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creche), and fears. Deeply disturbing, when these fears begin to
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surface, the initiate is closeted in a private space.
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Afterwards the inductee is brought before other members, sometimes more
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but never less than three. Whatever activities take place the overall
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effort is to meditate. For the inductee, this is a period of
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'stretching' the mind, using various excercises into the Dark side
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within, without losing the connection to the Light. The ultimate goal is
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to become a bridge between them. They are called The Grey Exercises, for
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obvious reasons.
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During the final hours all participants increase their meditative levels
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gradually until the group-mind is at a peak. The inductee's psyche is
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stripped bare of all defenses. The Dark side -- potentialities, latent
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irrationalities, imaginative fantasies are all exposed to the group
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mind. At this point the inductee will have some deep revelation
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pertinent to overcoming their own fear of and attraction to the Dark
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side.
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The signal to end the ceremony comes when one member begins a movement
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in the Force, which is carried through by the others. The initiate
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experiences an "infilling of the Force," which often includes physical
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manifestations such as involuntary levitation and phosphorescent
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displays. The lights are kept low during this period (probably so the
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other members can enjoy it-- it is reported to sometimes be
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spectacular). The body of the initiate is literally over-saturated with
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the Force-- and if this sounds groovy to you, then maybe you'd enjoy
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having a million volts go through you some time.
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Among the changes to be expected after the initiation will be a
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telepathic bond shared with the others in the room. The bond is
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consistent to all initiates, and is no different from a Jedi telepathic
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bond, except that it is shared only with other members of the Order
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(with some limits due to distance). As with a Master and Padawan, it
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takes focus and a little effort, but the ability is undeniable.
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To a large extent, the entire Order consists of a network of Force
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bondings, and the Force is not static but moves through and between
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bodies. Thus individuals who have bonded in this way are connected to
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all others who've undergone the rite.
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The physics of the bond created during a Grey Initiation rite are
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difficult to pinpoint. It is similar to the Jedi bond, yet more limited
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in scope; thus the mechanics are different. It is believed by some that
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because the initiate allows themselves such deep scrutiny by other
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members, an incredibly strong bond of trust is formed. The ability to
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send telepathic images and words may be a byproduct of this level of
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intimacy.
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However, because the body of the initiate undergoes such intense
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chemical reactions from the infilling of the Force (the metabolism alone
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increases to about ten times its normal speed for a period of at least
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ten minutes, which forces intense chemical reactions throughout the
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bodies of any and all species), one must expect that the brain is
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effected to some degree. This may also explain the subsequent telepathic
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bond. The bond is said to be 'permanent' but that has not been verified.
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It has been pointed out that such a telepathic bond between Grey Jedi
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may be a form of insurance against betrayal by any of its members. It is
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not, however, possible for the Grey to be 'mind-readers' so much as they
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are 'message-receptors' to eachother. A strong, directed thoughtform is
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needed, rather than simple curiosity. Jedi almost always have training
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in telepathic abilities (the so-called Jedi Mind Trick, for example).
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These abilities may be enhanced.
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The limits of the telepathic bond have not yet been determined.
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